Everyday Mates
Welcome to Everyday Mates, a project by Fraser Coast Mates, sharing real, vulnerable stories from people right here in the Fraser Coast community .
We’re bringing you honest, heartfelt interviews with locals who’ve faced adversity and discuss the impacts on their mental health.
These stories will show the ups, the downs, and the moments in between from real people with real experiences. Everyday Mates will remind us all that we’re not alone.
Tune in, listen, and connect with the everyday people who make up our Fraser Coast. Together, we’re breaking down barriers, one story at a time.
Karen Boulton-Gorry | Everyday Mates
When you meet Karen Boulton-Gorry, her warmth and determination shine far brighter than any label or diagnosis ever could. Now recently married at 22, Karen has built a life of purpose and advocacy but her journey to get here was anything but easy. Born with a rare genetic microdeletion, and later diagnosed with Level 2...
Damian Andrews | Everyday Mates
Like most Australians, Damian had never given much thought to MND, until the day a doctor’s words changed everything. For Damian, his wife Jane, and their three sons, life would never look the same again. But from that moment, a new family motto was born: “We Got This.” This remarkable family began documenting their journey...
Chad Pay | Everyday Mates
Chad Pay once believed he’d be a jockey for life. But when that chapter ended at just 20, he found himself searching for direction. He moved into mining and spent the next decade working hard, building a reputation for his strong work ethic. When he lost his job, financial pressure and debt began to take...
The Gillen Family | Everyday Mates
When the Gillen family lost their beloved daughter and sister, Tiff, to suicide in 2021, their world changed forever. In the years since, Debbie, Camille and Dan have bravely chosen to honour her life by sharing their story, allowing them to transform heartbreak into a message of connection, courage and hope. Tiff was adventurous, kind-hearted...
Jon Vea Vea | Everyday Mates
Jon Vea Vea’s story is one of courage, culture, and connection. A proud Cobble Cobble man with ancestral roots in the Western Downs, Jon was raised on Butchulla Country, along the saltwater coastline of Hervey Bay and K’gari. Those waters and lands shaped his spirit, his sound, and his deep respect for culture, community, and...
Steph Whitcombe | Everyday Mates
Grief has a way of shaping us. For Steph Whitcombe, it became both a heartbreak and a journey that would connect her even more deeply to her family, her community, and her own resilience. Steph grew up on the Fraser Coast, a place she would later dedicate her career to promoting through her work in...